A Rude Awakening
A few years ago, I had some extensive blood tests done to check for any abnormalities that had gone undetected so far. When it came to my testosterone levels, I was in for a rude awakening. My levels were really low, which might have explained the lack of staying power I experienced from now and then.
My simplistic mind went straight for testosterone replacement therapy. Luckily, my GP had a more balanced mind, which led me down the rabbit hole. And I am grateful for the insights.
This is part 1 of a trilogy on testosterone. By the end, you will have a far better understanding and can implement the right steps for yourself!
The Importance of Testosterone for Men
Testosterone, often called the “male hormone,” is really important for men’s health. It helps with muscle growth, bone strength, and hair growth. But it does more than that. Testosterone also affects your mood, energy, brain function, and sex drive. Knowing why testosterone is important and why it drops in middle age can help you stay healthy.
Why Testosterone Matters
Testosterone is made mainly in the testes in men. It’s also made in smaller amounts in women’s ovaries and adrenal glands. Here’s what testosterone does for men:
- Physical Growth: It helps your muscles and bones get stronger.
- Reproductive Health: It’s needed to make sperm and keep your sex drive up.
- Mental Health: It affects your mood and brain function, helping prevent depression and anxiety.
- Metabolic Health: It helps control how your body uses fat and keeps your blood healthy.
Keeping your testosterone levels right is really important, especially as you get older. But testosterone levels naturally go down with age. Understanding why can help you manage the changes.
Why Testosterone Levels Drop in Middle Age
1. Getting Older
The main reason testosterone drops is ageing. Testosterone levels are highest when you’re a teenager and in your early 20s. After 30, levels drop about 1% every year. By middle age, you might have 20-30% less testosterone than you did when you were younger. This drop happens because your body’s system slows down testosterone production.
2. Lifestyle Choices
How you live your life can also affect your testosterone levels:
- Bad Diet: Eating too many processed foods, sugars, and unhealthy fats can lower testosterone. Not getting enough vitamins and minerals, like D, B, zinc, and magnesium, also hurts your levels.
- Not Enough Exercise: Being inactive can lead to lower testosterone. Exercise, especially weight lifting, can boost your levels.
- Being Overweight: Extra body fat, especially around your belly, can turn testosterone into estrogen, the female hormone, lowering your testosterone levels.
3. Health Problems
Some health issues that are more common in middle age can lower testosterone:
- Type 2 Diabetes: High blood sugar and insulin levels can mess up your testes, lowering testosterone.
- Heart Disease: Problems like high blood pressure and clogged arteries can reduce blood flow to your testes, which lowers testosterone.
- Metabolic Syndrome: This is a group of problems, including high blood pressure, high blood sugar, too much belly fat, and abnormal cholesterol levels, all of which are linked to lower testosterone.
4. Stress
Long-term stress can really hurt your testosterone levels. Stress raises cortisol, a hormone that stops testosterone production. In functional medicine, we call that “cortisol steal”. The body diverts some of the testosterone precursors to build more stress hormones. Stress can also mess up your sleep, which is bad for testosterone. Middle-aged men often have more stress from work and family, which can make the drop in testosterone worse.
5. Medications
Some medicines can lower testosterone levels:
- Steroids: Drugs for inflammation, like those for arthritis and asthma, can lower testosterone if used a long time.
- Painkillers: Long-term use of opioids can reduce the hormone that tells your body to make testosterone.
- Cancer Treatments: Chemotherapy and radiation can damage the testes, lowering testosterone. The effects depend on the type and length of treatment.
6. Not Enough Sleep
Good sleep is crucial for keeping testosterone levels up. Testosterone is mainly made when you sleep, especially during REM (rapid eye movement) sleep. If you don’t get enough sleep or have sleep disorders like sleep apnea, your testosterone levels can drop. Middle-aged men often have sleep problems due to stress, health issues, or lifestyle factors, which can lower testosterone.
7. Alcohol and Drugs
Drinking too much alcohol and using drugs can lower testosterone. Alcohol, especially in large amounts, can damage the cells in your testes that make testosterone. Drugs can also mess with your hormones, leading to lower testosterone levels.
8. Environmental Toxins
Being around certain chemicals can hurt your testosterone levels. These toxins are found in plastics, pesticides, and some industrial chemicals. They can act like hormones in your body and mess with testosterone production. Middle-aged men who’ve been exposed to these toxins longer are more at risk.
Conclusion
Knowing why testosterone levels drop in middle age can help you deal with the changes. Ageing, lifestyle choices, health problems, stress, medications, lack of sleep, alcohol, drugs, and environmental toxins all play a part. By understanding these factors, you can take steps to manage your health and keep your testosterone levels up. In a future article, we’ll talk about ways to boost low testosterone and stay healthy.
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